We often explore the way to read Batman stories. We’ve got a Batman Post-Crisis Reading Order, a Batman New 52 Reading Order, a Batman Rebirth Reading Order, and even more specific ones following writers’ works on the famous characters or about specific crossover and bigger events. There is a lot to cover in the Batman Universe.
But all of this is not beginner-friendly. There are always too many books to track down if we just want to see if we like it or not. Everybody is not heavily invested in the Dark Knight Universe, yet. We all start somewhere and there’s nothing better than a good story to discover if we want to read more.
This article is here to provide those who are not that familiar with Batman with a list of possible entry points in his world or just some good stories to read without the pressure to complete a series or to invest too much time. The title says it all: the best stories for beginners.
But first, we assume that everybody knows who Batman is, but there are always younger people who just start to learn about those things. So, let me introduce you to Batman–quickly because we have now a complete article about his origins. Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger in 1939, Batman is the superhero identity of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy man from Gotham City who witnessed the murder of his parents as a child. After training himself physically and intellectually, he started fighting crime, masking his true identity behind a mark, and becoming a symbol of justice in the process.
Simply put, he is a vigilante but also the greatest detective and, with his sidekick Robin, he’s now facing costume villains like the Joker, Two-Face, The Riddler, the Penguin, and more. But he also has a lot of allies in his crusade for justice like Commissioner James Gordon, his previous sidekicks, and numerous vigilantes and powerful superheroes.
Best Batman Stories For Beginners
1. Batman: Year One
“In his first year on the job, Batman feels his way around a Gotham City far darker than the one he left. His solemn vow to extinguish the town’s criminal element is only half the battle; along with Lieutenant James Gordon, the Dark Knight must also fight a police force more corrupt than the scum in the streets.”
Hard to find another Batman story that feels more of an entry point for new readers than Batman: Year One. After all, it’s an origin story. And it’s a classic. Written by Frank Miller with art by David Mazzucchelli, this story redefined Batman for a new generation of readers with its gritty vision of a violent and dangerous Gotham who got the vigilante it needed. Collected in Batman: Year One.
Frank Miller made his mark on Batman with his extremely influential miniseries The Dark Knight Returns, but I wouldn’t recommend it to beginners. You’ll find more information about it here.
2. The Long Halloween
“Working with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant James Gordon, Batman races against the calendar as he tries to discover who Holiday is before he claims his next victim each month. A mystery that has the reader continually guessing the identity of the killer, this story also ties into the events that transform Harvey Dent into Batman’s deadly enemy, Two-Face.”
Set in the continuity of Batman: Year One (but you don’t need to read it first), The Long Halloween is a 13-issue limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale that takes us through a year in the life of the cape crusader as he tries to stop a serial killer who is striking on every major holiday. It’s a detective story with a noir feel to it that explores the rise of Batman and his expanding gallery of villains. Collected in Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition and in Batman by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale Omnibus.
If you like it, there’s a sequel called Dark Victory that introduces Dick Grayson/Robin, but also Batman: Haunted Knight, a collection of three Halloween Batman specials from the same creative team.
3. Batman: The Man Who Laughs
“Ever since Batman embarked on his crime-fighting journey, Jim Gordon feels like Gotham is out of control. When he arrives at a crime scene, finding dozens of mutilated bodies, he knows the worst is yet to come. Soon after, a mysterious psychopath appears on television, threatening to destroy the city, but he will start by attacking some of its most prominent figures. Batman must act, but first, he has to find out who he’s really dealing with.”
Another origin story retelling, this time from writer Ed Brubaker and artist Doug Mahnke. We go back to the first apparition of the Joker as he instilled fear into the hearts of every Gothamites. Batman and Gordon try to stop it, but they are faced with a new kind of crazy, and they are not prepared for it. It’s a dark and captivating tale, a race against time to stop a mad man. Great story. Collected in Batman: The Man Who Laughs.
If you want to read another quite popular Joker Story, The Killing Joke is also beginner-friendly and highly influential, but if I love Brian Bolland’s art, I’m like Alan Moore, I don’t really like the story.
4. Batman: Hush
“Gotham City is infected by a crime epidemic and all of Batman’s enemies have emerged to throw his life into utter chaos. But little do they know, they’re all pawns of the villainous Hush in an elaborate game of revenge against Bruce Wayne. Pushed past his breaking point, Batman will need to use more than the world’s greatest detective skills to uncover the true identity of this mysterious mastermind before it’s too late.”
Jeff Loeb is back at it, this time with artist Jim Lee. Hush is a bit similar to The Long Halloween, but with a contemporary setting. Hush is a new villain that led us to visit the old ones, a good way to be introduced to the extended world of Batman. It may be superficial on a storytelling level, but it’s a good panorama of the Bat-Universe for beginners. Collected in Batman: Hush.
5. The Court of the Owls
“After a series of brutal murders rocks Gotham City, Batman begins to realize that perhaps these crimes go far deeper than appearances suggest. As the Caped Crusader begins to unravel this deadly mystery, he discovers a conspiracy going back to his youth and beyond to the origins of the city he’s sworn to protect.”
When Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo took over Batman with the New 52 relaunch, they hit fast and hard with The Court of the Owls, a perfect reintroduction to the world of Batman. This captivating story takes Batman to the heart of Gotham City where he must confront new dangers. This story became an instant classic for good reasons.
Being the introduction of a new (and successful) run, if you’re hooked, there’s a lot more Snyder/Capullo’s Batman after that, take a look at this reading order. You can also go to our The Court of the Owls Reading Order for more information. The story is collected in Batman: The Court of Owls Saga, Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls, and Batman by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo Omnibus Vol. 1.
6. Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City
“Batman is led through a labyrinthine urban maze by his old nemesis the Riddler, who seems to have changed into an abominable monster with one purpose: to drive Batman insane. In his quest, the Riddler is working with an occultist who has summoned a demon to stop Batman-but in the process, the Riddler himself is slowly changing into a nightmarish beast!”
With the new movie “The Batman,” some curious readers may want to find something good to read with The Riddler at the center. Coming from Peter Milligan, Jim Aparo, and Kieron Dwyer, Dark Knight, Dark City is probably one of the best stories written about him. He leaves clues behind him to manipulate Batman in this supernatural story full of suspense that also explores the dark past of Gotham city. Collected in Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City.
7. Batman: Ego
“In the aftermath of the Joker’s latest crime spree, Batman sets out to track down one of his underlings, Buster Snibbs, in the hopes of obtaining information on the whereabouts of his most trusted enemy. Wounded and exhausted both physically and mentally, the Dark Knight nevertheless saves the villain in extremis, who, panicking at the very idea of his boss’s reprisals, ends his life. A trauma that will push Bruce Wayne to the limit, to the borders of pure madness.”
Coming from the legendary Darwyn Cooke, Batman: Ego is a tale for those who are interesting in the inner turmoil of Batman. This is not a detective story, but a psychodrama in which Bruce Wayne questioned his mission and his results. It’s him versus his alter-ego – and the art is fabulous. Collected in Batman: Ego and Other Tails.
8. Batman: Under the Red Hood
“Years earlier, Batman suffered his most terrible defeat when the Joker killed the second Robin, Jason Todd, with a crowbar. The Dark Knight still managed to continue his mission, supported by his previous sidekick, Dick Grayson. But this painful memory is revived when a new vigilante, with expedient means, arrives in Gotham. The new vigilante, who has been creating fear in the underworld, also uses the Joker’s old alias: Red Hood.”
Being connected to past events, Batman: Under the Red Hood should have been hard to read for the new readers, but Judd Winick wrote a beginner-friendly storyline that takes time to introduce who’s who and a context to the events. It’s also packed with action, surprises, and gadgets. Plus, this story explores a popular controversial Bat-topic (in the mainstream more than in the comics world), the fact that the Dark Knight refuses to kill his enemy. Entertaining and interesting. Collected in Batman: Under the Red Hood.
9. Batman: Strange Apparitions
“In these moody tales from the 1970s, Batman faces his own lonely existence while struggling against one of his earliest foes, Dr. Hugo Strange. This run also includes the renowned “Joker Fish” storyline, in which the Clown Prince of Crime comes up with his most off-the-wall scheme ever”
Batman is an old character and the style of some Pre-Crisis story are not necessarily to the taste of new readers, but Strange Apparitions that was part of the Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers/Terry Austin run in Detective Comics may be one of the more modern Batman stories of the 1970s – in its format (a complex storyline in 8 issues) and in the way the characters were written.
The stakes are high, the villains are dangerous (iconic Joker story, great corrupt politician, frightening Dr. Phosphorus, and interesting reintroductions of Hugo Strange and Deadshot), and the love interest is not negligible. Too bad Steve Englehart didn’t do more bat-stories, but his work here was highly influential (especially on the first Tim Burton Batman movie and Batman: The Animated Series) and really accessible. Collected in Tales of the Batman: Steve Englehart.
10. Batman: The Rise and Fall of the Batmen
“Batman decides to recruit young vigilantes and train them to be a team worthy to face any evil that may come to Gotham–will this vision for a team of Bat-Heroes be able to take flight or will it go down in flames? And what would Batman consider threatening enough to require a team?”
This is a team book more than just a Batman book. More precisely, it’s James Tynion IV’s run on Detective Comics (during the Rebirth era) during which he built a story around a good number of members of what is commonly known as the BatFamily.
Batwoman, Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan et more are gathered together by Batman to help him fight a coming threat. It’s a classic scenario, but it’s a great team. Collected in Batman: The Rise and Fall of the Batmen Omnibus. For more information, take a look at our Batman Rebirth Reading Order.
11. Batman and the Monster Men
“Batman has spent his first year fighting organized crime — but nothing thus far in his early career as the Caped Crusader has prepared him for the new menace facing Gotham: super-powered villains!”
Another great “Batman: Early Years” kind of story coming this time from Matt Wagner. It’s set during his first year as Batman (between Year One and The Man Who Laughs), when Bruce Wayne thought his crusade wasn’t gonna last long. It’s about the craziness of Hugo Strange, some Mafia’s extortion scam, a bit of romance, family issues, and Jim Gordon’s realization that his world was not the same anymore. Great art, great storytelling, and the timeframe of the story made it perfect for newcomers as Batman himself is learning the ropes. Its sequel “Batman and the Mad Monk” is also pretty great. All of this is available in Legends of the Dark Knight: Matt Wagner.
12. JLA: Tower of Babel
“A mysterious plague has swept across Earth. All language has seemingly turned to gibberish, and the world is plunged into a state of panic as communication becomes impossible. The JLA is determined to set things right…but it turns out that one of their own may have played a role in this disaster. Is one of the heroes truly responsible for the chaos across the planet? Will the JLA survive this shocking betrayal?”
Batman isn’t always in the street of Gotham. He also fights alongside the members of the Justice League. Written by Mark Waid with art by Howard Porter, Tower of Babel is one of the most celebrated JLA stories and one that really speaks of Batman’s character. His enemy Ra’s al Ghul used his own tactic against him to keep the Justice League occupied during one of his attacks.
A complete story that is full of action and twists and that explored the bad side of the Dark Knight’s paranoia and excessive planning. It’s also a good way to be introduced to the biggest players in the DC Universe. Collected in JLA: The Tower of Babel The Deluxe Edition and JLA Vol. 4.
Bonus
Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn
“There’s a new Dynamic Duo in town. Dick Grayson, the original Robin, has taken up the cape and cowl of his former partner, and Damian Wayne, the assassin-raised son of Bruce Wayne, has become a deadly new Robin — ready to fight crime by any means necessary. Together, this masked Odd Couple must stop a rising tide of villainy whose savagery and brutality are unlike anything Gotham City has ever seen.”
It’s hard not to put anything from Grant Morrison in a list of Batman recommendations, but the goal of this list is to offer stories for beginners et Morrison is not really beginner-friendly. I’ll recommend having a bit of Batman knowledge before picking up his books (see here for a complete guide). That said, there’s a point in his run where you can easily go without a lot of baggage: Batman & Robin.
The thing is that it’s not Bruce Wayne under the cowl, but Dick Grayson, and that’s why it’s in the bonus section. You’ll have fun reading this anyway. Collected in Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn and Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 2. Also, take a look at our Batman by Grant Morrison Reading Order.
Gotham Central
“Gotham City: a town teeming with corrupt cops, ruthless crime lords, petty thieves … and just a small handful that would oppose them. Grizzled veteran Harvey Bullock, Captain Maggie Sawyer, Detective Renee Montoya, and the GCPD are the law force that stands between order and complete anarchy. ”
Gotham Central is one of the best Batman adjacent series ever written, but it’s not pure Batman. It follows the detectives of the GCPD as they try to stop the crazy criminals of Gotham. Coming from Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, and Michael Lark, this series is dark, intense, full of surprise, and there’s a bit of Batman in it (and some of his enemies). Collected in Gotham Central Omnibus.
Batman: Mad Love
“Written and drawn by the masterminds behind the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, Paul Dini, and Bruce Timm, this Batman one-shot reveals the origins of Harley Quinn as she proves her love to the Joker by trying to eliminate the Dark Knight on her own!”
Talking about Batman adjacent series, Batman Adventures is a great series taking place in the continuity of the famous Batman: The Animated Series. Mad Love is now a classic, the introduction of Harley Quinn in comic form. There are more Batman Adventures available, they are great and you don’t even need to watch the show before to enjoy them. Collected in Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories.
More stories for beginners to suggest? Do not hesitate to share them in the comment section.
